apprehenfion concerning thofe which are future, is prepared for all the viciffitudes of fortune; he is not afraid of evil bodings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.— Be it our conftant concern to cultivate this contented, refigned, and happy temper, in obedience to the apoftolic precept Be careful for nothing, but in every thing, by prayer and fupplication with thanksgiving, make your requests known unto God." Youth Youth and Age compared. PSALM XXXVII. 25. I have been young, and now am old. age, THIS is a confeffion which men do not easily perfuade themselves to make. Old like the fhades of the evening, fteals upon us by imperceptible degrees; and it is not poffible to ascertain the exact point at which it commences. Life is commonly divided into four stages, childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. In paffing from the first of these to the fecond, and from the fecond to the third, we impatiently anticipate the approaching period. period. Eager to enter upon a new career of enterprize, and upon new scenes of enjoyment, we fancy that we cannot too foon difmifs the badges of childhood, and release ourselves from the restraints of authority, to mingle without controul in the bufy and fplendid fcenes of life. But when the time arrives at which we are to pass into the last period of our prefent existence, the cafe is altered. Inftead of presenting us with new objects of defire and hope, old age threatens to steal from us the delights we have hitherto poffeffed, and to leave us in their place an ever-increasing burden of infirmity and disease. We obferve with averfion the first approaches of this unwelcome intruder. For a long time we are willing to perfuade ourselves that the natural fymptoms of declining strength are owing to fome accidental caufe, which will hortly be removed. If our fight or our hearing begins to lofe its wonted quicknefs; if we perceive fome failure of muf cular cular strength; if time is furrowing our brow with wrinkles; if "grey hairs are here and there upon us;" we endeavour to forget fuch unpleasant mementos of human frailty. Even when accumulated evidence will no longer permit us to doubt that we are growing old, we ftill take pains to hide the painful truth from our own obfervation. And as if it were disgraceful to be thought old; as if the ancient law which enjoins refpect to age were reversed, we make use of every expedient to conceal that length of days which we formerly accounted honourable. A fmall degree of reflection might be fufficient to correct this weakness. Who does not fee that it is the extreme of folly to oppofe the established order of things, or to refufe a placid fubmiffion to the immutable laws of nature? Time flows with an irrefiftible current; and, while the world endures, one generation of men will pafs away, and another come. Old age is nothing more than the last portion portion of that courfe of existence which is allotted to man in this world. It is as natural to us to grow old, and to die, as to be born. To dread the approach of old age, betrays a feeble and ill-instructed mind. To be ashamed of it, when it arrives, is to caft reproach on the wife allotments of Divine Providence. Our wisdom is to receive the firft intimations of its arrival with tranquillity and firmnefs, and to prepare for all that shall follow by wife reflections and manly refolutions. old Whatever be the ufual point at which age commences, it must be admitted that there is a point in every man's life at which he may firft, with propriety, adopt the words of the text, "I have been young, and now am old." This point, wherever it is fixed, may not improperly be confidered as a ftation on the fummit of the hill of human life, from which the traveller may, with the greatest advantage, take a retrofpect of the path over |